POSTAL workers are being verbally abused in the street by angry members of the public who are frustrated about late post, says a councillor.
The abuse is happening due to ongoing delays in mail deliveries in Worcester, but one city councillor who has criticised delays – and pressed for a solution – says it’s not the fault of postmen and postwomen.
Her views were echoed by a spokesperson for the Communication Workers Union who said postal workers were under ‘serious work stress’ and that the issues with Royal Mail postal delays were ‘not their fault’.
Royal Mail delays spark anger
Cllr Sarah Murray, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Warndon Villages in Worcester, has visited the delivery office in Worcester, including with Worcester’s Labour MP Tom Collins, over complaints by residents about late post, including urgent hospital appointment letters and important financial documents.
However, Cllr Murray urged people to be ‘kind to their posties’ and stressed that the delays were not their fault, blaming issues within Royal Mail itself.
She said: “Residents have every right to be angry and frustrated about the postal service they’ve been receiving – I’ve been raising those concerns myself for months.
READ MORE: Royal Mail say no issues with postal delays in Worcester
“But that anger must never be directed at the postie standing on your doorstep.
“The people delivering our mail didn’t create these problems. They’re working under considerable pressure and, in many cases, dealing face-to-face with the frustration caused by decisions and circumstances completely outside their control.”
Union rep removes Royal Mail jacket at Tesco
Cllr Murray said a union representative told her that he removes his jacket if he goes into Tesco as otherwise he gets targeted and questioned about post.
She said the union representative was very clear that posties are experiencing verbal abuse from members of the public because of the problems with deliveries, which she said she “found genuinely upsetting to hear”.
She said: “It was really upsetting to hear that some are being verbally abused simply for doing their jobs.
READ MORE: Royal Mail anger over post delays at new Worcester estate
“Nobody should go to work wondering whether they’re going to be shouted at or abused in the street.
“Please be kind to your postie. By all means complain, report delays and hold Royal Mail to account – I certainly will – but direct that frustration at the organisation and its management, not the person carrying the bag.”
What the union says about Royal Mail delays
A Communication Workers Union spokesperson said: “British postal workers are under serious work stress due to the historic mismanagement of Royal Mail from successive leaderships – it is down to no fault of their own.
“Nobody deserves abuse on the job, and we urge members of the public to treat their posties with decency and patience in this time.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Our posties work hard serving their local communities and should be able to do their jobs without any abuse or intimidation. We take the wellbeing of our people seriously and would encourage anyone with concerns about their postal service to raise them directly with Royal Mail.”
We have previously reported how bosses at Worcestershire Royal Hospital are using texts and other forms of communication to get in touch with patients about appointments because of the unreliability of the postal service.
A spokesperson for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We are aware of concerns around the reliability of the postal service, and we are expanding the range of options we have for communicating with our patients including text messaging and digital communications.”